The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

Middle Boggy Battle

Is anyone aware of primary sources, other than the Official Records, regarding the Feb 1864 engagement on Middle Boggy?

For years I have accepted that the Battle of Middle Boggy was on the north side of Atoka where the Confederate Museum and cemetery is located. However, it appears to me that this location cannot be reconciled with the official reports. I am now of the opinion that the battle occurred much further upstream near the Chickasaw-Choctaw boundary on the road from Ft Smith to Ft Arbuckle.

Phillips crossed the Canadian at the mouth of Little River (Edward's Trading Post - Old Fort Holmes) after sending scouts east and west to clear the Creek and Seminole Nations of "rebels". His advance, Willett's, runs into Jumper's Seminole Battalion, Nail's Company, and a few of the 20th TX Cavalry on Middle Boggy in the Choctaw Nation. After a sharp engagement, the Confederates retreat. Phillips says when Jumper found that a stand was not to be made at "____ ____ court house", he retreated to Ft Arbuckle. Phillips catches up with Willett's at the battlefield -- Is this Camp Kansas? -- and advances 21 miles south and establishes Camp Kagi on South Boggy (i.e., Boggy River or Clear Boggy). He sends his infantry north and scouts south with his cavalry. He writes a letter to Chickasaw Governor Winchester Colbert and tells him he stopped by his house but he wasn't home (Gov Colbert's house was burned). Phillips wanted to take Ft Washita but was getting low on ammunition and didn't know what kind of force was gathering to oppose him so he headed back to Ft Gibson. He reports his successes and return plan from "Old Fort Arbuckle (Little Rivertown)".

A month or two later, the Seminole Battalion is to be located at either "Colbert's Mill" (Gov Colbert's about 10 miles NNW of Tishomingo in the Chickasaw Nation) or the Rock Academy (Wapanuka aka Chickasaw Rock Academy) on Delaware Creek -- on the road Phillips took. WP Adair calls the expedition something like 'Phillip's expedition to Colbert's Mill'.

Phillips did not destroy the stores at Boggy Depot, only about 10-12 miles southwest of Atoka near Boggy River ("South Boggy"). Nor does he destroy Armstrong Academy (Chahta Tamaha) -- the meeting place of the Grand Council of the Confederate-allied Indian nations and tribes and the Choctaw National Capital (1863-1883). I don't think he was ever that far east. Phillips' expedition was to clear the Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw Nations leaving the Choctaw Nation to stand alone and was to be his next target. Clearly he wanted the crops from these western areas which were in much better shape than the rest of the Indian Territory.

TELL ME WHERE I'M WRONG:

Here's what it looks like to me...

Phillips marches from Ft Gibson to Council Hill to Hillaby to Edward's/Old Fort Holmes at the mouth of Little River on the Canadian -- sending scouts far to the east (North Fork Town where supplies were left for Moonlight who never joined him) and west (into the Seminole Country). He crosses the Canadian into the Choctaw Nation bound for Ft Washita (not on the Texas Road and not headed for Boggy Depot or Davis' Crossing on Middle Boggy - Atoka).

On the upper Middle (Muddy) Boggy near the Choctaw-Chickasaw boundary, Willett's Battalion runs into the Seminoles et al who have fallen back from the Seminole Nation where they are usually located, and after a sharp engagement, the Confederates retreat to a court house (at the Chickasaw capital of Tishomingo or some other Chickasaw court house or to Boggy Depot court house in the Choctaw Nation) and then retreat either west to Ft Arbuckle (south of the Seminole Nation) or perhaps that is an error and he went to Ft Washita.

Phillips catches up with his advance (Willett's) and marches south 21 miles to South Boggy (Clear Boggy) in the Chickasaw Nation northwest and upstream from Boggy Depot. He passes Wapanuka (Chickasaw Rock Academy) and goes to Colbert's Mill and burns Gov Colbert's house. The Confederates are trying to consolidate at or around Ft Washita so Phillips heads home, retracing his route. He mistakenly calls "Old Fort Holmes" "Old Fort Arbuckle" (which is further west upstream on the Canadian north of Ft Arbuckle) and 'Little Rivertown' is the name of the community on "Little River" at or near the mouth. If Little Rivertown is on or near Little River AND near Old Fort Arbuckle, it would be much further west in the vicinity of present Konawa.

Back to the original question... Does anyone know of primary sources regarding the engagement?